Insurance used my *own* wrecked car as a comp in my totaling valuation — is that even legal?

Oh they absolutely do this and it is absolutely something you should fight. Adjusters know most people never request the valuation report, let alone actually read it. The fact that a previously totaled, off-road vehicle is being used as a market comp is genuinely shady — that car was not available for purchase on the open market, so it has no business setting your truck's value. Push back in writing, specifically call out that comp by VIN or listing and explain why it's not a valid market comparison.

I'll be straight with you — I used to work in claims and the valuation software these companies use is largely automated. It casts a wide net for comps and nobody always catches what slips through. A totaled vehicle that was previously on your own policy should absolutely have been flagged and removed before you ever saw that report. That's a legitimate error, not just a technicality. Call and ask specifically for a supervisor or a re-evaluation request, and put it in writing via email so there's a paper trail.

Not legal advice, but using a previously totaled vehicle — especially one tied to your own prior claim — as a market comparable raises a real question about whether the valuation methodology meets the 'actual cash value' standard your policy likely requires. That standard is generally based on what a willing buyer would pay a willing seller in an arm's-length transaction. A wrecked car that wasn't on the market doesn't fit that definition. Worth at least a conversation with a PI or insurance bad-faith attorney, many of whom do free consults.

I just want to say — you're dealing with a lot at once and the mental load of fighting an insurance company on top of everything else is real and exhausting. Don't let the stress push you into accepting something that isn't right just to make it stop. Take it one step at a time: dispute the comp, document everything, and give yourself permission to ask for help navigating it.

Genuine question — are you sure that comp is actually your old SUV and not just a coincidence that it's a similar vehicle? Like did you match the VIN or just the year/make/model? Not doubting you, I just want to make sure your dispute letter is airtight before you send it, because if you're wrong about it being yours that could undercut your credibility with the adjuster.